We are in month #7, our third and final African month. For the last 3 months I have been stared at constantly and rarely been able to find a place to sit without being watched or hollered at. From this I’ve decided that I NEVER want to be famous!! The word “Muzungu” (white person) feels like a curse almost and is no longer adorable. I’ve been praying for a place that is peaceful and a place free of children hanging around all the time. I’ve been praying for a place to work out as well, some months we have a room where we can do Insanity. I know what you all might be thinking, “anything else you’d like to complain about as you get to travel around the world?” I know it’s pathetic, but I’ve missed being able to sit outside with Jesus and I’ve been praying hard to have that.
In my mind when I prayed for these things, I just hoped for a porch to sit on that had a small area where the neighborhood children couldn’t see me and a small room that I could use to work out. God has a way of providing for us beyond what we can even imagine. We arrived at our most recent house and I was in shock! We live on a private compound – an orphanage for children between 16 and 18 years of age, but there is a small road that leads a little ways back to our house, so we are somewhat separate from them. The house that we live in has 7 rooms, one for each of our teammates, so whenever I need privacy I can take it in my room, but at this point I have NO desire to sit inside in my room BECAUSE… we have a HUGE front yard that overlooks the hills of Uganda. There is a beautiful tree with flowers all over it that sits in the middle of the yard and when I sit in its shade the warm wind often kisses my skin and I am at peace. No one bothers me while I sit there and I can do my quiet time or read a book that I picked up from the bookshelf at the orphanage. It’s so much more than I ever thought to ask God for.
Yet, even after giving me this place of peace, He gave me something more. Behind the house are acres of pastures with a trail for me to run along. Often as I’m running I rarely see anyone and this is my time to spend with God. There are cows and tall grass and I feel as if I’m back in high school running with the cross country team or going for a run in my best friend, Stacy’s, pasture. When I run, I am at home and I am with God.
This month God has spoken to me that He desires for me to find rest. He has told me that for the last 6 months I have been worn down and He is giving me this month to just sit with Him and to take in His Spirit. He is renewing my energy and reminding me why I ever set out on this journey. He has also told me that this is a month to beat my body back into shape. God has told me for a long time that my body is a temple and I need to take care of it, that He has a plan for me that involves me being in shape – I know that sounds crazy, but it’s true. This is a month of God’s provisions in the biggest and smallest ways. He promised me that each day as I run on the trail, He will teach me something. I will be sharing these things with you, as well as what He is teaching me as I sit underneath His tree of blessing.
